Shadow Children series 1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I hope you guys enjoy this story. This takes place after ****Among the Enemy**** and before/during ****Among the Free****. **

_**I do not own the Shadow Children series.**_

Chapter 1

Tiny beads of water kissed Emeary's lips, lingered, and then fell away. She stood still, embracing the moment. She felt the raindrops run through her hair and down her back.

"Charity! Charity, come inside. The Population Police are here!" Emeary's breath caught. She recognized the urgency in her brother's voice, the message hidden in his words. Neil's figure raced toward her through the rain. He grabbed Emeary's arm and silently dragged her toward the barn. "What's going on? Do they know?" Emeary whispered, her voice shaking with fear. Neil shook his head warningly.

Neil pointed to the ladder once they reached the tiny two-stall barn. Emeary climbed wincing at every creak of the rungs. There was nothing in the loft except for hay used to feed the goats, Patches and Lady.

"They don't know you're here," Neil whispered in Emeary's ear making her jump. "The president has ordered raids of every house in the country."

Emeary knew there had been a new president. It was a terrible night. Mother, Charity, and Neil had stood paralyzed around the radio as the head of Population Police made his speech as the new president, but strangely, Emeary wasn't scared. It had seemed so far away. What did it matter if someone else was in charge? Nothing had changed. Not really. But it had changed. The Population Police were in her home. The people who wanted to _kill_ her were barely ten yards away. The very thought made Emeary shudder.

"In the hay. Don't you dare leave until I come. And don't. Panic," Neil finished while shifting the hay to make a spot for Emeary. She climbed in the hole resting her back against the rough wood. Neil covered her with clumps of hay. Piece by piece, the image of the loft disappeared into golden straw.

"I have to go. I love you," Neil said. And then he was gone.

Emeary imagined her brother going back to the house. He was probably making up some story about how he thought Charity was outside, and he had gone to get her. It was ridiculous, really. Charity would never be out in the rain. It would mess up her hair, and that was all Charity seemed to care about lately.

The sweet scent of hay and pine began to work on Emeary. The drum of rain against the roof pounded like a lullaby. Emeary's eyelids began to feel heavy. _No, I must stay alert! _She thought as she blinked hard.

"We're going to search the entire area. Protocol," said a gruff, confident voice. Emeary guessed it was a Population Police officer.

"Do you have to search the barn? You'll disturb the goats, and they are our way of life." said a softer voice. Emeary recognized this one and instantly felt comforted.

_Smack! _The air erupted in cruel laughter and whimpers. "How DARE you question my authority!? I will do as I wish! I could have you arrested!" Anger surged through Emeary like poison as she realized Neil was the one whimpering. She wanted nothing more than to tackle whatever officer that had dared touch her brother. But if they didn't shoot her for assault, they'd shoot her for being the third child in a family.

Crashes and booms punctured the air as the officers "searched" the barn. The splintering of wood blended with the bleating of Charity's goats. Emeary tensed as she listened to her only home being torn apart.

"Dixon! Briny! Search the second floor!" yelled the gruff voice. The second floor? Sometimes the city people could be so stupid. A barn doesn't have floors. There's only the loft.

The loft… A cold steel hand seemed to take hold of Emeary's heart. They were going to find her. They were going to find her and take her away. Then they would shoot her. And she would die. She, Emeary Rose Reich, would be dead. Emeary wanted to scream. She would not go quietly. No matter what, she would fight.

"We have nothing to hide!" shouted Neil's desperate voice.

Then Emeary's world began to shake. All around her the hay rifted from its spot as four steel prongs stabbed continuously. Emeary prayed the merciless pitchfork would not find her. What would be worse- to be shot or stabbed?

"Al'right, you've proved your point," said a new voice. The pitchfork stopped, and Emeary breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"I'm just trying to tell you we have nothing to hide," said Neil unnaturally loud. Was he talking to Emeary now? Had she not been in danger? Was Neil behind the pitchfork the whole time?

"The next house, men!" shouted the gruff voice. A stampede of marching feet stormed until they faded into silence.

Emeary waited for Neil to come and get her. The chill in the air told her it was past dark, and it was getting worse. The hay that had once been so soothing now itched and poked her. Where was Neil? It sounded safe. Maybe she could just leave.

But Emeary never found out if she would have left, because just then the hay was pulled away. "How's it going, Re?" Emeary blinked in the sudden light of Neil's candle. "I'm tired, sore, and hungry. But what can you expect when you've spent half the day in a pile of hay!" Emeary replied bitterly as she eagerly climbed out of her spot. She hugged her brother's neck as all her fear left her.

Neil chuckled, but without any real humor. Emeary let go. "We did pass, didn't we?" she asked anxiously. It was a stupid question, and she regretted the moment the childish words left her mouth. If they hadn't passed, they wouldn't exactly be standing there talking about it.

Neil grabbed Emeary's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "We passed, Emeary. It's okay. You're safe"

But she wasn't safe. She never would be.


	2. Chapter 2

_I do not own the Shadow Children series._

Chapter 2

Emeary fingered the note absentmindedly. She was wedged in the corner of Lady's stall. The goat was glaring at her as if to tell her that this was _her_ stall, and Emeary would do well to get out of it. Emeary ignored Lady and went back to thinking.

She unfolded the paper again. She had already memorized it, but the words drew her eyes like magnets.

Tonight. Same place, same time. – B.

Emeary sighed. Ever since the search of the house, Mother had been a lot more paranoid and protective. She never let Emeary outside in daylight even though the only farm for miles was the Greens'. The only reason she was out of the basement at all was that Neil had talked her into letting Emeary get some air in the barn for awhile. There was no way she could sneak out.

Emeary traced the tiny B in the letter. Her thoughts wandered back to the first time she had met Brad. It was two years ago when she was eleven. Her father had just died, and the family was barely getting by.

David Green, another farmer who lived just up the road, made a deal with Mother. They would share the land, share the labor, and share the profits. The deal greatly helped Mother. But one day, while Emeary was in the loft, Brad was sent to get a tool kit.

Emeary had been sitting in the hay reading a book. Everybody was in the field fixing a fence that had blown down in a storm She was safe and relaxed. Emeary didn't even notice the creaking of the old ladder. It was the scream that alerted her.

Brad was on his back with his arm twisted around his neck before he could even register how. The girl he had seen laid back hardy a second ago leered over him. Her curtain of wavy black hair blocked everything out except the vicious terrified face.

"Who are you?" she asked roughly giving his arm another painful twist.

Brad bit his lip to hold in his scream of pain. "I'm Brad," he managed gritting his teeth. "You- you look like Charity." He had only just realized it. The girl looked exactly like Charity, the daughter of the woman his father had gone into partnership with. The only difference was their hair. While Charity had golden hair, this girl's was as dark as a starless night.

The girl smiled for the first time. "Do I?" she mocked. She loosened her grip on Brad's arm so it didn't hurt.

Something seemed to click in Brad. In the house of his father's partner, Neil was a first child, Charity was a second child, so that made this girl a… "You're a third child," he whispered so quietly he could hardly hear himself. But she heard.

The ferocity back in her face, she slammed his shoulders into the wood of the floor. "You say a word, and I'll- I'll…" Fear showed one her face.

"Wait!" Brad said. "I won't tell anyone about you! I'll keep your secret! I swear! I swear."

And so began their friendship. They passed notes secretly in the hole of a tree midway between their farms. Sometimes in the middle of the night they would secretly meet at the tree. Brad never told anyone about Emeary, and Emeary never told her family of Brad. Brad had never endangered Emeary. But, then again, the note might.

Emeary awakened herself from her memories and looked at the note again. Would she go?

"Emeary?" Emeary smiled at the uncertain voice. But it disappeared as quickly as it came. The note troubled her in other ways than just finding a way to sneak out. An idea had planted itself in Emeary's mind the day of the search. It had grown over the days, and the note only seemed to show her how time was limited.

"Neil come here and sit with me," Emeary called softly. Neil walked inside the stall and sat beside Emeary.

"Neil, I have to tell you something," Emeary began. Neil looked at her questioningly, but did not say a word. "I've been thinking. You protected me the night the Population Police came. You kept them from finding me. You saved me."

"That's right!" Neil said with mock bravado. He flexed his muscles as if to show he could pick her up and take her away from all trouble. Emeary wanted to smile, but it felt as if weights hung at the corners of her mouth.

"Neil, other third children don't have big brothers like you. They need people to help them. I- I'm leaving. I'm going to be that one person to help them"

"NO!" Neil yelled forgetting himself. His hands flew to his mouth and looked around. When it seemed that things were safe, he turned back to Emeary. "No! I have spent my whole life protecting you. I am _not_ going to lose you now! Forget it!"

"Neil, am I going to hide in this loft forever? Do you really expect me to hide in the hay my whole life? If you won't let me go, I'll run away. I mean it!" Emeary hissed.

Neil hung his head in defeat. "I'll tell Mother and Charity about what you're going to do," he mumbled. He stood up careful to avoid Emeary's eyes. And he left.

Emeary felt bad about what she was causing her family, but she couldn't say good-bye. If she saw her Mother's face, she would break down. Emeary couldn't leave if she saw their faces. She just couldn't.

Emeary rummaged through the hay she had been sitting on and dug out a bag. It had all she would need for the journey. At least, she hoped it did. Emeary stood up and left the barn.

The light blinded her. Emeary pushed ahead until the trees of the forest shielded her. She blended in with them. Just another shadow. Her feet followed the path to Brad's tree. She would see good-bye to him. But that was only because he might do something stupid trying to get a hold of her.

Emeary leaned up against the old oak. And she waited for nightfall.


	3. Chapter 3

_I do not own the Shadow Children series. All right go to Margaret Peterson Haddix, the bestest author ever. _

Chapter Three

Just as the last tendrils of scarlet red and fuscia pink dissapeared over the horizon, a shadow made its way over the hill of the old oak tree. Emeary knew immediately that it was Brad.

"Hey, Emeary. What's happening?" he said casually and leaned up against the oak tree.

Emeary felt a smile rise on her face and gently hugged him. "Brad, I need to talk to you. It's important."

Brad's hardened face looked briefly confused but smoothed out easily. "Shoot."

Emeary took a deep breath and spilled the entire speach she had been working on for the past hour. She told of the raid and of her plan. She told him she was sorry, but this was meant to be. She told him a lot of things. Most of them were true.

When she was done, Brad looked at a very out of breath Emeary. "You're joking, right?"

Emeary let a sad apologetic smile grace her face momentarily. "I've never been more serious. I want to help; I want to make a difference. I can't do that here."

A truly shining smile lit up Brad's entire face. "I'm glad you're doing this Emeary. I really am. You're right: you can't hide forever. I'm going to miss you, but I know you're doing the right thing."

Emeary looked down slightly confused. This wasn't what she expected. She had expected Brad to beg her to stay, to tell her that she must stay. Not encourage her to leave as soon as possible! Did he not care for her like she thought he did?

"Well, I'm glad you're okay with it," Emeary said hesitantly. "I'm leaving now." She waited for the pleas to stay. She wanted those pleas to stay. At that moment she wanted to be talked out of going. But the pleads never came.

With one last glance at her childhood friend Emeary turned to her new life. The woods.

Emeary may have wanted to risk her life, but she wasn't stupid. There was a small town north a little ways. If she took the path in the woods, she could be in the town in one to two days. With no Population Police!

It was foolproof. Well...it was supposed to be.

Emeary took a few cautious steps toward the shadows of the tree. It was suddenly very intimidating, what she was about to do.

_You're being ridiculous, _Emeary thought after a few moments of staring at the woods.

And so she strutted confidentally in the woods. On the outside.

Emeary walked all night, more out of fear of stopping than of want to keep going. The thought of sleeping in a log just didn't appeal to her with every limb reaching for her and every shadow jumping at her. Call her crazy.

The first fuzzy light of morning was just starting to touch the horizon when Emeary heard voices. A man's and a boy's.

It wasn't until Emeary got quietly closer that she notice that the man had a uniform...and a gun.

Population Police.


	4. Chapter 4

_I do not own the Shadow Children series. Wish I did, but don't. Enough said._

Chapter Four

Emeary's breath caught in her throat. She really didn't have much of a plan past going to the closest town. Did she expect all the third children to just come running to her and beg her for help? Now, that she was faced with the face of her nightmare her plans seemed weak and full of holes at best.

What was she supposed to do?

As the question rang through her mind, the officer stepped closer to the boy. Emeary looked closer at him. He looked to be about thirteen and had shaggy brown hair. He had the underfed scrawny look of so many children in the country, but muscles did show under his ragged shirt. Curious.

"Now, where did you say you were going, kid?" the officer sneered, leaning over the boy.

The young boy flinched but defiance still shown in his eyes. "I'm on my way to Beardon. I need to buy some medicine for my younger sister. She's sick." His voice was even and didn't shake at all. Emeary was convinced of the story, but the Population Police officer was not.

"Hand over your ID card. I need to see where your from." Translation: Give me your fake identity card, so I can prove you're a third child and get a raise. I don't care if you die in the process.

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small hard rectangle that was the difference between life and death for many people. Emeary couldn't see well, but it looked official.

The officer looked it over suspicously. "It say you're from Yales. That's about fifteen miles west of here, isn't it?"

The boy nodded cautiously.

A cruel twisted smile rose on the officer's face. "I happen to have lived in Yales at one point in my life. It is about thirty miles north of here, yet I found you traveling from the south. If you really were traveling to Beardon, you would have already passed it coming from Yales. Care to explain that, kid?"

The brown eyed boy bit his lip nervously. He knew that trick was up, and Emeary felt it, too. She carefully reached into her bag as quietly as possible. In the bag were all the things she thought she would need on her little journey. One of those necessities was a hammer.

Emeary grabbed the handle of the hammer with a firm grip and pulled back her arm. It would take just one blow. That's all it took for Neal. Just one blow.

Swoosh...thunk! One minute the officer was leering intimidatingly over Matthias, and the next, he was on the ground unconcious. At least, that was how it seemed for him.

Breathing heavily, Matthias observed the officer and found him truly unconscious. He also found a work hammer not to far from the man. Matthias was just putting two and two together when...

Emeary saw the boy pick up her hammer, and she decided all at once that he was a friend. She stepped out of her hiding place in the bushes and revealed herself to the young man.

"Can you hand over my hammer, please? My brother will kill me if I lose it." Okay, she wasn't exactly known for first impressions. But giver her a break. She had only met one other person outside her family.

Stunned, the boy handed the hammer to Emeary. "Who are you?"

Emeary shrugged. "Same as you I guess. Another kid in the forest."

Emeary bent down to place the tool back in her bag and swung it over her shoulder. When she looked back up, she saw the barrel of a gun.

The gun owned by the officer but in the hands of the boy.

It was pointed at her.

**Dun dun **_**dun**_**! *dramatic music* Lol**


	5. Chapter 5

_I do not own the Shadow Children series. The series would never end if I did. _

Chapter Five

"Oh, come on!" Emeary screeched. This was it. That was the last straw. "No! Okay? No! I refuse! I just left my home to go out and try to help some third kids! I just saved some kid's butt, and now the same kid is pointing a gun at me! No! The line is drawn there!"

As Emeary was screaming herself into hysterics, Matthias was feeling a little uneasy. This girl seemed to be possible unhinged. What had he gotten himself into?

"Look, just calm down. Okay?" he said hesitantly, lowering the gun. He hated that his new role in the resistance had to involve them. Paranoia was already getting to him.

Emeary paused her ranting long enough to give Matthias a skeptical look. "So I save you, you point a gun at me, and now you want me to calm down? What rock did you crawl out from under? You can't threaten my life and expect me to take it lightly!"

Matthias pointed the gun at the ground and held up his other hand in a gesture of peace. "See? Not threatening your life. Just tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

Emeary leaned against an oak tree. Her episode of ranting and raving had worn her out. "How can I just tell you who I am? How am I supposed to trust you when you pointed a gun at me moments ago?"

Matthias sighed heavily. "You can't. No one can trust anyone anymore. That's what's so sad. You know who and what I am pretty much, yet you still can't trust me out of fear of a trick. It's horrible."

Emeary nodded in agreeance. "You're right. You practically know who and what I am, but neither of us will admit it. Fear holds us back."

A silence settled over the two children.

"Matthias."

"Emeary."

They both could have given fake names, and the thought came to both of them. But they chose their true names. They knew it, too.

"You said you wanted to help third children."

"I did."

"We both could turn each other in."

"We could."

"I won't."

"I won't either."

Matthias looked to the ground nervously. He had never been very bold, never been one to take risks. Yet here he was. What was he doing?

"I...I know where you can help. It - it happens to be where I'm going. You, I mean if you want to, could come and...help."

Emeary prided herself in being a hard person to fool. Where Charity was extremely gullible, Emeary was nothing of the sort. But this boy, this Matthias, seemed genuine. What could it hurt...?

"I want to help. I'd...like to go with you."

Maybe it was the glare of the newborn sun. Maybe it was the shadow of a squirrel passing through the trees. Or maybe Emeary actually saw the ghost of a smile cross his face.

"Let's go. Through those trees."

Just as Emeary trampled through the brush, she turned back and caught the scene she would have otherwise missed. Matthias kneeled down and carefully laid the gun next to the unconcsious officer's head. Rising up, she heard him whisper,

"I'm sorry, Sam."

**Sweet, huh? I have a sensitive side...people just don't get to see it much. Haha. **


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own the Shadow Children series. Shouldn't you realize that by now??_

Chapter Six

Emeary was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole going 'natural' business. She was never a prissy girl like Charity was famous for being. Charity had every strand of her perfect golden hair in its rightful place. Emeary could care less. However, she did have certain standards. Bathing regularly was one of them.

"How much longer before you reach the place you talked about?" Emeary asked, hating herself for the prominent whine in her voice.

Emeary couldn't help but notice the exasperated sigh that escaped Matthias's lips right before his lips. "We should be there by late tonight. You realize we've only been traveling two days, right?"

_Yeah, two days with no bathing, little rest, a shared sandwich, and a sip of water. Trust me, I'm fully aware, _Emeary thought. "Yeah, I know," she said out loud. It probably wouldn't be good to get on the bad side of her guide in this wilderness. Plus she didn't want to seem ungrateful to the mysterious boy.

"Well, it's just a little farther, and it could be worse. We should be thankful for what we have," he offered. Emeary noticed that he always seemed pretty optimistic and thankful for the smallest thing.

"You've been through some pretty hard times, haven't you?" Emeary said, suddenly realizing that it was true.

Matthias hesitated. What could he tell this stranger? "I have been captured by the Population Police. I was turned in. Later, I got out, but that wasn't it. I had to impersonate a Population Police officer for the sake of the cause...and my...friends." Everything. Stupid! He was known for his caution, and yet here he was giving everything away to a girl he barely knew.

Emeary was shocked to say the least. She had expected something bad, but not _that_ bad. "I'm...sorry. So sorry." The words sounded meaningless, but she hoped he understood how much she meant it.

Matthias looked at Emeary through the corner of his eye. She really was a pretty girl. Her ebony hair flowed down her shoulders. Even after the two days in the forest, she was still just as beautiful. Wait - did he just think that? What made him think thoughts like that?

"So what about you? Where did you learn to throw a hammer like that?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation away from himself. Not to mention from his odd thoughts.

Emeary shrugged, but a slight smile creeped on her face. "I guess I owe that to my brother. We used to play a game. He'd throw the hammer to me. Then I'd throw it back to him, but we could only catch it by the hammer. Whoever grabbed the head of the hammer or missed first lost.

"One day he was messing with me. He had won all the games and was getting really cocky. When I mentioned that he was getting arrogant, he snapped that at least he would get out of the barn during the day. That hit a nerve with me. He knew I wanted nothing more than to leave the barn.

"So I reared back my arm and threw the hammer as hard as I could at his head. It hit him...strait on. He was...he was -."

Emeary broke off laughing. Or maybe it was sobbing. It was actually pretty hard to tell.

"My brother was knocked unconcious. Not very long, but it scared me so bad. I thought I had killed him. Mom and my sister were out in the farm, so I was the only one around. Luckily, he woke up about twenty minutes later, so there was no lasting damage. He wasn't mad though. He even agreed not to tell Mom about it.

"Later he told me that he had been having a bad day. Our neighbor and partner in business had jumped on him for not doing something right. He needed to feel that he was good at something.

"Sometimes I feel bad about it. Maybe I should have just taken it. Why couldn't I have just let him have that satisfaction? Why?"

Matthias stopped walking and looked at Emeary. He had the sudden urge to hug her for some odd reason. He wanted to comfort her, to make her feel better. He wanted to erase that guilt.

By now Emeary had noticed that Matthias had stopped. She mimicked him and peered at him questioningly. He seemed conflicted.

Matthias noted that Emeary was waiting on him to do something. "You shouldn't feel bad," he said hesitantly. He wanted to say more. Emeary wanted him to say more. But...he couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it.

Emeary accepted that he wasn't going to say anything else. "Oh...thanks."

"Yeah."

Silence fell on the two, and they remained that way until it was well after midnight. As the rosy tendrils of morning's first waking moments peered over the horizon, Matthias gestured to the huge mansion like building just appearing.

"Welcome, Emeary, to Hendrick's School."

**And there you go. Hendrick's School. So much can happen, but what trouble will I create there. **


	7. Chapter 7

_No, I do not own the Shadow Children series. Trust me, you would know if I did. He-he._

Chapter Seven

Emeary had never seen anything so grand, so intimidating, so _big_. A very large and tall pure white building stood before her. The lack of windows gave it a very ominous look and slightly superior to the surroundings of forest.

"Wow..." she breathed.

Matthias grinned at her reaction. She loved seeing her in this awe. "Three of the greatest people I know are inside."

"Are you going to show me to them?" Emeary asked, suddenly nervous. What fate awaited her inside this odd structure?

"Well, I have to get their approval about you before we can accept you as a fellow resister. No offense, but we can't trust just anyone," he said with an apologetic shrug.

Emeary nodded. "I understand," she said formally though she was slightly hurt.

The two made their way through the underbrush until they came across rows and rows of corn, tomatoes, and other crops. "It's food," Emeary stated obviously.

Matthias nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Hendricks keeps a garden to survive."

"Oh."

At last they reached a small building in the back. Matthias knocked loudly one, softly three times, and then loudly twice again. "Beware the shadows!" he shouted. Emeary guessed it was some sort of password ritual.

The door slowly swung open to reveal a man in a wheel chair. Emeary was taken back. She didn't expect one of the three greatest people to be disabled.

"Hello, Matthias," the man said pleasantly. "Who's your friend?" He cast a suspicious eye to Emeary.

"This is Emeary. I met her in the woods. She wants to help third children. She seemed safe." Emeary noticed that Matthias suddenly seemed ashamed of her. Like he shouldn't have brought her here. Like she didn't deserve to be here.

Emeary didn't like it.

"Mister..."

"Hendricks."

"Mr. Hendricks. I offer my services to the resistance of the government. I only wish to help third children. I mean no harm, and I'm not asking you to give me tons of information. I just want to help," Emeary said as confident as possible. She thought is sounded good.

Matthias hid a smile. A small ghost of pride lightened his heart.

Mr. Hendricks seemed to be thinking. He suddenly made a hand gesture for them to follow him inside. The two complied.

Emeary briefly noted the coziness of the entire house, but the majority of his attention was focused on the two men in the corner. They looked tired, worn. But triumphant. Odd.

Matthias sat down on a plushy couch, and Emeary followed suit.

Mr. Hendricks, at last, moved to face them.

"Emeary, I believe I have a job for you."


	8. Chapter 8

**I would like to thank my friend, Sparx and Nova 4ever, for helping me write this chapter and letting me use her awesome OC, Layla. :)**

_**I do not own the Shadow Children's series. Yeah, I know, it's heartbreaking.**_

Chapter Eight

Mr. Hendricks peered at Matthias and Emeary as if analyzing their hearts. "This job is important. It will be a big blow to the Population Police if we succeed, but it could be the end of us if it fails. This is a group mission. It will require the utmost efforts of everyone involved."

Matthias's face twisted in confusion. "Who exactly is involved in this?"

Mr. Hendricks smiled. "Actually, I thought it's a nice time for a little Resistance reunion. Luke, you should all come out."

Matthias's face was one of simple shock. Emeary followed his gaze to a door off to the side that she hadn't noticed before. Two boys and two girls walked out, all looking slightly sheepish.

The taller dusty-blond boy who had an air of unmistakable confidence stepped forward. "I'm Luke. And this is Trey, Nina, and Layla." Luke pointed to each child as he said their names.

The second boy, brown haired and brown eyed, nodded to the girl with straight flowing auburn hair called Layla. "Matthias, Layla has just recently joined our group."

Matthias looked at Layla curiously. "Are you a third child?"

Layla shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm the sister of a third child." Her eyes saddened, but that tiny glimpse of emotion was gone as quickly as it had come.

Matthias waited for more, but it was obvious that she wasn't saying anymore. At all. "Oh. Well, um, nice to have you join. How are you, Nina?"

Nina, the pretty blonde girl, nodded. "Yeah, risking my life, saving kids. You know, the usual."

Matthias grinned. Emeary felt a sudden pang of jealousy shoot through her. Where had that come from? Why would she be jealous of the extremely pretty girl with a snappy personality that Matthias seemed to know and like? It made no sense!

Emeary cleared her throat to make herself known. All heads swerved to her. "Hi, I'm Emeary. I'm just here to help other third kids because my brother has protected me my whole life, and I want to do the same for others who don't have that."

Sudden fury entered Layla's jade green eyes. "Well, whoop-di-do for you. Why would we care?"

The entire room was stunned into silence. Trey's nervous golden brown eyes darted toward Layla in registered surprise. Even Luke was speechless.

Emeary's immediate shock quickly melted to anger. "Well, I'm so sorry that I introduced myself in a friendly manner."

Layla's cold eyes stared her down. "We don't need the details of your pitiful life. So don't bother giving them. We aren't interested."

Emeary huffed dramatically like she had seen her sister do so many times. "Well then...I-I don't care. Why should I? I mean...I didn't ask for your opinion. ...shouldn't we be going or something?"

Emeary carefully avoided Layla's satisfied smirk. She knew she was beat - and she hated it.

The shellshocked audience slowly blinked back to life. Luke and Nina exchanged concerned glances. Trey stepped up and put his hand cautiously on Layla's shoulder. She jumped at first, but allowed the hand to stay. Mr. Hendricks and Mr. Talbot simply looked amused.

Matthias shot daggers at Layla. She was new here. What right did she have to jump down Emeary's throat over a harmless comment? It was so aggravating.

"Well then," Mr. Talbot said, breaking the awkward silence. "Now that we've all gotten to know each other - who's ready to start on the mission?"

The speech was met with varying levels of enthuisasm.

After seeing he was clearly not going to get a response, Mr. Talbot continued. "Our mission is pretty simple, but everyone will be needed _to work together_." His eyes pointedly landed on Layla and Emeary.

"There is a large group of third children and Resistance workers in captivity in the Black Wells Prison. We need to get them out. The quantity of them is so large that this could very well tip the scale of this war. We need these prisoners.

"Our job is to get them out. All of you will work in pairs.

"Trey and Luke."

The two boys met eyes and smiled.

"Matthias and Nina."

They both grinned until they realized what their pairing meant. Emeary was jealous at first until she realized who she was going to be paired up with. That snobby cold mean -

"Emeary and Layla."

This would not turn out well.

**Hehe. I will enjoy this...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Once again I update with Sparx and Nova 4ever's help. Yaaayy!**

_**I do not own the Shadow Children series. Sad, I know. **_

Chapter Nine

"Ow! Hey, get your elbow out of my ribcage. And why don't you watch where you're going while you're at it? It's not even dusk and you've managed to trip over your own feet at least ten times."

"Oh, yeah? Well, your knee went in my gut! What do you have to say to that? Huh?"

Layla rolled her eyes in the waning sunlight. "That's the best you can do? Really?"

Emeary was tempted to stick out her tongue and stomp off like she would have done with Charity, but something told her that might not solve her problems in the middle of an unfamiliar forest when she was supposed to be on an important mission that was a matter of life or death.

Emeary contented herself with pouting in silence.

Together they tromped through the trees and the thick underbrush in tense silence. It was hard work, dodging large roots and pushing away thorned briars. Both girls were exhausted and sweaty, but neither wanted to be the one to break down and say she was ready to stop for the night.

Layla secretly knew that they were being stupid, but she had always been stubborn. If they kept going, they would tire out and be pathetic excuses for soldiers when it came time to fight. They wouldn't be alert like they should be. What if the mission failed, and it was all their fault?

While these thoughts tortured Layla's mind, Emeary had other things on her mind.

_I wonder what Matthias is doing right now, _Emeary thought. Though, she hoped he was safe and okay, a secret dark side burning inside her hoped he was having a horrible time with that Nina. Who did she think she was? I mean, really! So what if she knew Matthias longer. So what if she had been his friend first. So what if she knew him a lot better than her! What did it matter?

Matthias deserved a perfect person. Someone worth while. He was so special. He was strong and silent, but was also open and sweet. A perfect guy...if there was a such thing.

Emeary wondered briefly if Matthias thought of her like she thought of him. Could it be possible?

The bright pearly white moon shone down on the forest casting shadows on the girls' faces. The eerie light made them look ghostly and gaunt. Emeary's ebony hair made her look especially demonic.

Emeary picked up a strand of her dark hair and suppressed a sigh. It was so dank and plain. Not like Layla's. Her glowing auburn hair shown beautifully in the moonlight. The red highlighted her light brown strands. It was gorgeous.

Emeary hated it.

Bang!

"You're joking," Layla smirked, looking down at her partner.

Emeary, stunned, rubbed her head trying to make sense of what had happened. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't seen...oh.

"You know, I didn't think you were the brightest thing, but I didn't realize you would actually run into a tree," Layla said, clearly enjoying the moment.

Emeary dusted herself off and walked pointedly ahead. "Shouldn't we be rescuing something?" she mumbled.

But Layla wasn't going to let this go that easy. "First off, we're meeting the other groups at the post in Yales and picking up some more kids for the mission. Second, you just ran into a tree."

"Yes, I believe we established that," Emeary answered curtly.

"Why in the world did you smack your nose into a very solid oak tree?"

_Oh, nothing, I was just daydreaming about Matthias and thinking about how ugly my hair is compared to yours. _"I was thinking."

"Don't worry, I'd get lost in thought, too, if it was unfamiliar territory like it is for you."

Emeary didn't answer.

Time passed slowly. The trip was supposed to take a total of two days with a stop at night, but despite the skipped rest it was still going to take all night just to reach the outskirts of Yales let alone the rendevous point.

Light golden rays were just starting to cast out from the fuzzy horizon when Emeary suddenly realized how tired she was. Her eyelids felt like they had weights attached to them, and her feet felt like they were made of solid concrete. She didn't think she'd be able to walk two more steps, so she could just forget about secret missions. Not that those thoughts even registered in her mind.

Layla cursed herself. How could she have let this happen? Could she not lay her stupid pride aside for a matter as important as life and death? It _was _life and death! She was exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and completely unable to fight. She was practically a walking corpse. Useless! Worthless! Stupid!

She knew better than this. At least, she thought she did. Layla sighed.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU STUPID KID!"

Layla flinched at the sudden outburst in the silent forest. "What's your problem?" she hissed.

"You clumsy lazy sorry-excuse-for-a-human-being just stepped on my foot!" Emeary looked at her wide-eyed and looking close to insanity.

Layla felt like banging her head against a rock and throwing herself off the closest cliff. Her 'partner' was flipping out over _stepping on her foot_? "You have got to be kidding," she muttered.

Emeary wasn't kidding.

She crazily stomped through the deep underbrush occasionally tripping over the protruding roots and then cursing the trees for "growing stupid limbs where they stupidly trip me and it's so stupid!" Her mutters grew more violent and, well, less sane.

Layla would be lying if she said she wasn't slightly concerned for her own safety.

"I work so hard to help stupid ungrateful people! So hard! Do you realize what I've given up? Do you? No! You don't! You're just a mean person who pushes me in the mud and laughs. Laughs! What kind of person laughs at a kid for falling in the mud or running into a tree? Huh? What kind? What kind?"

Layla suddenly became aware of how loudly Emeary was shouting. They were pretty close to Yales...close enough for Population Police to be a danger.

"Emeary!" Layla shouted in a harsh whisper. "The Population Police! You're going to get us caught!"

"The Population Police? Do you honestly think I care? Honestly? I'm done! I'm done with being scared of stupid laws that make no sense. I'm done being scared!"

Layla looked around frantically. "That's great. Really, that's fantastic. I'm really happy for you. Especially since the Population Police are probably coming for us right NOW!"

Emeary blinked her eyes as if coming out of a stupor. "Wha - what?"

Layla bit her lip to hold back the string of insults going through her mind. "Your shouting has probably alerted every officer in the country of our position."

"..oh."

Layla rolled her eyes. "Yeah, 'oh'."

Emeary glanced around cautiously. "Well, it doesn't look like any officers are rushing toward us."

A cold voice cut through the girls' voices like a lightning bolt through the soft sky. "That's what you think."

And that's when Emeary's world went dark.

**~Among~**

Nine kids were waiting at the post in Yales, trying to look nonchalant and not too obvious. Luke, Trey, Nina, and Matthias had successfully arrived and met with Mark, Smits, Percy, John, and Joel. Only two certain girls were absent.

"..Where's Layla?..And Emeary?" Trey quickly added. It was pretty obvious that he had eyes for the attractive jade-eyed girl.

"Maybe they killed each other," Nina joked, trying to add some lighthearted humor to the grave silence.

"New recruits? Probably got lost," Mark chimed in, rolling his eyes.

"No..Emeary seemed to know her way around pretty well." Matthias crossed his arms.

Luke was deep in thought, frowning. When he spoke up, everyone's attention was immediately directed his way. "They're in trouble."

"..Then..we need to rescue them," Trey answered immediately with concerned eyes.

"You sure? We have a mission to follow through with, and we have limited time," Percy pointed out.

"We can't do it without them." And with Luke's final words, the decision was final.

Of course, he didn't know what it would cost to get the two rivals back.


	10. Chapter 10

**Wait until you see what happens in this one…muahahahaha! **

_**I do not own the Shadow Children series. Boohoo…boo hoo hoo. **_

Chapter Ten

Layla silently fumed. She hated this. She hated the situation, hated the Population Police, and, most of all, hated herself. She was just full of hate at the moment. And she hated that, too.

"Look, um, Layla? You're doing it again," Emeary said with a disturbed look on her face.

Layla sighed and stopped making angry face expressions and clenching her hands like she was strangling somebody. "Sorry."

"No problem."

"No, I'm sorry I got us in this situation," Layla said meekly. Emeary could tell it took a lot for the pretty girl to swallow her pride. It actually looked like it was killing her. Layla felt like it was, too.

Emeary shook her head. "No, it's my fault. I was the one who flipped out just because you accidentally stepped on my foot. I tend to…get a little hysterical at times."

"A little?" Layla flashed a friendly smirk.

Emeary chuckled. "Okay, more than a little."

"That's better…but I still should have known better. I knew we needed rest and to be alert. I knew it! I was just too proud to point it out." Layla looked disgusted with herself.

Emeary scooted closer to where Layla sat on the hard grimy concrete floor to comfort her. "Hey, I could just have easily said that we needed a break."

Layla, however, refused to be comforted. "Yeah, but I'm an experienced trained soldier. I should have known better! You're just a rookie. You were ignorant."

"Well, thanks."

"Besides," Layla continued as if to herself. "I have a purpose to be here. I have a major mission. How could I have messed this up?"

Emeary opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the cell door opening.

The two girls had awoken to find themselves in the square concrete room after they were knocked unconscious in the forest. They had assumed it was a Population Police cell. They had assumed correctly.

A cold looking officer peered down at the sitting girls like they were no more significant than the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. "You are to meet with our Investigator."

"You are in need of a personality," Layla mocked with her confidence renewed.

Emeary knew it probably wasn't the smartest reaction, but she couldn't help but snicker at the shocked look on the officer's face.

Sure enough, the officer strode across the cell and violently backhanded Layla. She hit the concrete with force. Angry tears were in her eyes when she looked back up to his face as she clutched the red welt on her cheek.

After that, the two girls were handcuffed (with a lot of pain) and slammed (with a lot of pain) into two hard-backed chairs across from a rather comfortable looking recliner. They exchanged worried glances before turning their attention to the important officer sitting it the chair.

"You know, this place could really use some redecorating," Layla quipped, looking around at the drab interview room.

Emeary flinched as a guard slapped her from behind.

The Investigator leaned forward. "I'll make this simple. Answer the questions; tell the truth," he said curtly. "What are your names?"

Emeary decided to jump in before Layla said something stupid again. "My name is Em-ily…Emily Baker. Um, what's _your _name?" she asked nervously.

The Investigator looked surprised. He had never interviewed two girls like this before. It annoyed him. "That is beside the point. Now why were you two off in the forest all alone? Or were you alone?"

Layla decided she didn't want Emeary to have all the fun. "Alone? We weren't alone! I had my imaginary friend, Trishtobutneor, with me! I'm afraid to go in the forest without him."

The Investigator's eye twitched.

The guard behind the handcuffed girls backhanded Layla so hard that she fell to the floor with a loud _thud! _Emeary gasped and rose to her feet instinctively until she was shoved roughly by the guard back to the seat.

"I believe these girls will answer best under torture. Take them to their cell until I can work out the paperwork to get permission for torture," the Investigator said stiffly.

And that was how Emeary's first interview went. She found it very interesting.

Layla leaned wearily against her nice homey cell. "Well, that went well," she said finally.

Emeary nodded. "You sure were brave though. I…I admired that."

Layla finally looked up and locked eyes on Emeary. "Thank you. I guess I feel like I need to give this all I got."

"Even dying?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Why? Why do you have that extreme determination?" Emeary wondered.

Layla sighed. "You already know that I'm not a third child. My brother is - was. He died when he was just eight years old."

Emeary put a comforting hand on Layla's shoulder. "I am so sorry."

Layla nodded. "What was so bad - what hurts the most - is that it was my fault. Tate and I had gotten into a fight. It was over something stupid; I don't even remember what started it. Tate got mad and ran off to the woods. We waited and worried, but he never came home. Finally, Dad went off to find him…and brought back his body. A Population Police officer had found him and shot him. And it's all. My. Fault."

Layla's voice broke on the last word, and Emeary felt so sorry for her. "You know, you didn't mean to. It's really not your fault."

Layla shook her head, unable to answer.

Emeary tried again. "I'm here because of guilt, too. My brother has always taken care of me, and it made me think of all the third children who didn't have a protector. I wanted to be that protector."

"That was brave," Layla whispered. "To leave everything behind to help others."

"Thanks."

"We're not making it out of this, are we?"

"Probably not."

Silence fell over Emeary and Layla. They never knew captivity could be so boring.

"So…you know any blond jokes?"

**Lol! I am amused. But I think I'll bring the rescuers in the next chapter. **


	11. Chapter 11

**I am back! Okay, I think this will be a nice long chapter filled with fights, suspense, and - he he - love scenes.**

_I do not own the Shadow Children series._

Chapter Eleven

Luke shook his head, exasperated and tried to calm the frantic crowd before him. "Look, guys. -"

"And girl!" Nina interrupted, whipping her long brown braids around.

Luke nodded. "And girl. We all want to rescue Layla and Emeary, but we also need to get on with our mission. I think about five should go save them, and the rest should go on and meet Nedley and Mr. Talbot for the rest of the details of the mission. Then the rest accompanied by Layla and Emeary can meet up with those that went ahead. Sound good?"

Percy spoke up, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Who goes on the rescue mission, and who goes to meet the grown ups?"

"Yeah," Smits echoed. "Who goes to save the girls?"

"I will," Matthias and Trey said simultaneously. The two boys looked at each other slightly embarrassed, but neither backed down.

Mark snickered to himself as he gazed at the sight and started to put two and two together.

"Okay," Luke said officially. "Matthias, Trey, and I will go."

"Percy should come," Matthias said. "He's good for this type of thing."

Percy shrugged. "Sure, I'll come."

"And I better come, too," Nina added. "I can't let a bunch of guys go off on a mission with a clear conscience. They'll find away to mess it up."

Luke, ignoring the insult, announced, "Okay, Matthias, Trey, Percy, Nina, and I will go rescue Layla and Emeary. Mark, you can lead Joel, John, and Smits to Nedley and Mr. Talbot."

"Great, I'm in charge of the munchkins," Mark grumbled.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

"You know what? I'm tired of prison," Emeary said after an hour of stupid blond jokes in a grimy cubicle of a cell.

"Yeah? Well, it doesn't get much better with the torture," Layla snapped.

Emeary shrugged. "To be honest I'm not exactly sure I want to go through that."

"Yes, and I'm so sure the Population Police are just going to politely say their apologies and set you free because you don't want to go through it."

Emeary sighed. "You're missing what I'm trying to say. I don't exactly like the idea of hanging around here. Do you want to, oh I don't know, escape?"

Layla sighed patiently as if she were dealing with a child. "Emeary, we can't just blast a whole through two feet of concrete and prance off to the woods. Face it, we have nothing. They took all my weapons, and they took your hammer."

Emeary carefully controlled the smirk rising on her face. "Well, hypothetically speaking I mean, could you pick that lock if you had the right tools?"

Layla shrugged, not quite getting the point of this. "Sure, I guess. But I don't have any tools, remember?"

"Wrong," Emeary said, no longer bothering to hide her glowing smirk.

She rolled up her pants leg until it reached her upper thigh. There she proudly revealed a tight strap holding a tiny barely noticeable pocket knife.

"It was my dad's proudest possession. It's been passed down our family for years. I think it was once called a Swiss Army knife."

"Perfect!" Layla exclaimed as she reached for the knife in Emeary's hand. Like a child with a new toy, she raced off to the door with a new energy. "If I can hit the right mechanisms, the door will open, and we can get out of here!"

"As long as we don't get caught," Emeary added settling herself by the door.

"Right, as long as we don't get caught."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Luke and Nina walked together leading the small group in what they knew to be the nearest Population Police holding center. They assumed that was where the girls would be kept if captured. Matthias and Percy were walking right behind them. Quietly, they traded news and generally caught each other up on the other's happenings. Last was Trey. He walked in the back alone.

Trey had always kept his thoughts mostly to himself, but it used to be because no one really understood his thoughts. Now, it was because he didn't even understand his thoughts.

Layla. She was constantly on his mind. Even if it was something as subtle as 'Layla would laugh at that', she was still there.

Obsession, he thought suddenly, an idea or feeling that completely occupies the mind. The was what Layla was to him, an obsession.

That couldn't be healthy.

"We're here," Luke said suddenly. "Any ideas on how to break in?"

Matthias looked on at the stone building in the little clearing. The five of them were squatting in the bushes at the edge. "This place doesn't look very high tech, but we should still be cautious."

Percy nodded. "I think we might could break them out with a simple procedure. If we cause a distraction, a big one so most of the officers will be needed, then a couple of us can sneak off to break Emeary and Layla."

"What kind of distraction?" Nina asked.

Trey though for a moment. "We could create a forest fire. It would be a threat to the forest, but also the holding center itself. The walls are made of concrete but it looks like the roof is made of mostly wood. If we start the fire in the Northwest, the wind will carry it in the right direction, and heat rises so the roof is sure to be ignited."

Luke nodded. "That sounds good. We can use dry leaves for fuel."

"And we can create sparks by scraping rock against metal," Trey added.

"Okay, let's do this."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

"I can't believe it!" Emeary whispered excitedly. "We picked the lock (well, actually you did), carefully surveyed the halls (well, you did that, too), and now we're just looking for a way out (okay, yeah, you're mostly doing that, too)!"

"Yep, we're almost out of here," Layla answered. "But you need to be quiet. We're still in a Population Police prison."

Emeary nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's just…do you smell something?"

Layla paused as she carefully whittled at a clump of wires with the knife. "Yeah…yeah, I actually do. It smells like…smoke."

And that's when the alarm went off.

Red flashing lights accompanied by a blaring foghorn filled every hallway in the holding center.

"Oh, no!," Emeary cried. "They've found us!"

"No!" Layla shouted over the alarm. "I think it has something to do with the smoke we smelled. Maybe there's a fire!"

As if rushing to prove her point, red and yellow flames licked at the ceiling and threateningly leered down on them. Emeary and Layla quickly ran through the halls no longer caring if officers spotted them.

Surprisingly, they seemed to be alone. "Everyone must be fighting the fire," Layla shouted.

The two skidded to a stop as they stared wide-eyed at the peril before them. A solid wall of searing fire blocked the entire hall.

"Oh. No," Emeary breathed.

Layla gritted her teeth furiously. "I'm going to kill whatever started this fire!"

**Talk about backFIRE. Heh heh. Wow, that was corny, but I don't care. :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yes, I have come forth with an installment in my story. …yaaayy!**

_I do not own the Shadow Children series. …sorry._

Chapter Twelve

"Layla…this just might ruin our escape plan," Emeary said, calm and casual as she stared at the intimidating wall of fire. She could have been asking her to 'pass the salt' at the dinner table.

"You think?" Layla grumbled frustrated.

"Pull your shirt up over your nose," Emeary instructed, demonstrating with her own. "We once had a fire in the field. It's the smoke that kills you, not the fire."

"Well, the fire can't be exactly great for our health either," Layla retorted but she complied. "We're obviously not going _that_ way, so let's turn back. There might be a door or some other way out."

Emeary nodded and retraced her steps in a dead run. The two girls navigated the twisted halls and eventually ended up back at their old cell that they had worked so hard to escape.

"Talk about being back at square one," Emeary commented.

"It's not funny, Emeary!" Layla snapped, pacing back and forth and trying to figure something out.

Emeary shrugged. "I'm just saying that as far as irony goes, this situation rates a ten on the ironic scale."

Layla turned on her indifferent partner. "Do you not get that we're probably going to die?"

Emeary twisted her ebony hair around her fingers. "Look, I get that, Layla. But there's no need to be so freaked out about it. We might as well face this logically. If we can't get out, let's face fire with icy cool guts. Otherwise, let's calm down and look at the options. How can we get out?"

Layla glared at the other girl, but couldn't deny that she was right. She hated that. But she did need to be cool in this situation. For Tate. "Okay, the roof. The roof's not made of concrete."

Emeary looked up and rolled her eyes.

"Someone beat us to it."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Luke, Trey, Matthias, and Percy didn't know how to react when the two girls looked up to see the rescue crew staring down at them from a hole in the ceiling. Nina simply waved with a small smile.

Somehow, Layla still managed to look menacing and in charge with five kids witnessing her break down and flames crackling all around her.

"If you five have been up there all along, I'm going to break a few bones," she snarled. Trey blushed as the others had the decency to look ashamed.

"All right, how much did you guys see?" Emeary said, breaking the awkward moment.

Luke shrugged. "Um, I think we just heard something about the roof."

Layla smiled. "Yep, and that's all you heard. Right?"

The five nodded without question.

Emeary rolled her eyes. "Great, well, now that that's settled, anybody want to help us get out of this prison. It's kind of on fire."

Trey revealed a rope made of knotted Population Police uniforms and threw it down to them. Layla and Emeary both climbed up it and then climbed down from the roof. At last, the seven children were running through the woods.

_Home free, _Emeary thought_._

Of course, it couldn't be that easy.

"Hey! There are kids!"

"They're escapees!"

"Get them!"

Fear struck through Emeary's heart. After all she'd been through, it was going to end like this? With a bullet?

Emeary felt hysteria rising, but she stomped it down. She couldn't afford to go insane right now.

"Split up!" Luke said in a loud whisper. "Layla and Trey; Matthias and Emeary; Nina, Percy, and me. Meet back up at Mr. Talbot and Nedley tomorrow morning!"

Emeary felt her hand being taken by Matthias's, and they were off in a completely different direction. Time seemed to be and illusion as together they dodged trees and jumped creeks. Somewhere in another time bullets were firing. But none of that mattered. Nothing mattered but running and running. And running. And running…

"Emeary! We can stop now."

The gentle voice brought her back down to Earth. All the memories seemed to catch up with where her body had gone. "Did we lose them?"

"Yeah," Matthias said. "We can sleep tonight, and then head back tomorrow morning. We're not very far from the meet-up spot."

Emeary nodded, processing the information. "The others?"

"I don't know." There was no mistaking the fear and worry in his voice.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Luke watched as Nina and Percy settled down against a large tree. They rested their heads under a protruding root, so they were just barely visible. Satisfied, Luke settled down next to Nina.

"You know, they're okay," Nina whispered sleepily.

Luke nodded wordlessly.

"Don't worry," she tried again. Luke was too far away to hear her.

She reached out and gently took his hand in her own.

_That_ got his attention.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Trey grinned in his half sleep state. Layla and him were resting against an old oak tree. Trey had recognized it by its leaves.

Layla had immediately gone to sleep when they had sat down. Trey had more trouble going to sleep. Now that the beautiful girl was next to him, his feelings had tripled. Trey glanced at her wisps of red hair and a sudden memory entered his mind.

Mrs. Talbot

Mrs. Talbot had red hair. Mrs. Talbot was beautiful.

Just like Layla.

But Mrs. Talbot didn't make Trey feel the way Layla did.

Layla suddenly groaned in her sleep and adjusted her position in sleep. She rested her head against Trey's shoulder.

Trey, shocked at first, soon discovered he liked this. He liked having her near. He liked her.

Trey went to sleep with a smile on his face.

**Yeah, I couldn't resist. Look at the cute couples! ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's a nice long chapter for ya! **

_I do not own the Shadow Children series. Sorry...:(_

Chapter Thirteen

Trey was in pure bliss. The most beautiful girl in the world was laying her head against his shoulder, and they were safe. They were finally safe.

Safe? No, not safe. Never safe.

Trey lazily blinked his eyes open in the soft morning sunlight. The insane half-asleep he had savored Layla's presence in was gone, dissolved in the harsh reality of his life.

"Layla? Layla…wake up," Trey whispered gently.

Layla groaned in her sleep. Her eyelids flickered open to see the forest sparkling around her. She became vaguely aware of her head resting against something. Something…alive.

Layla shot up from her spot and turned around to see a very startled Trey. Wait - was she laying her head on…oh boy. "Um, Trey? Shouldn't we be, uh, moving on? To meet Mr. Talbot. For the mission."

Trey nodded nervously, trying to find semi-intelligible words. "O-of course. W-we should get g-going. To get information for the mission because without information, we'd be running blind. We probably wouldn't succeed. Information and Intel is the key point in missions. And-"

"Trey?"

"Y-yes, Layla?"

"Let's just get going."

"Right…let's go."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Luke quietly savored his moment to enjoy the simple beauty of nature. The simple beauty of the world he had grown up in. The world he may never return.

_No, _he scolded himself_, I'll come back. I'm coming back. _

"Nina, Percy, let's head out. Time to go."

Percy immediately woke up as he was trained to do, but Nina wasn't as eager to get up and face the day.

"Ugh…can't we wait until, I don't know, later?" she groaned half asleep.

Luke silently chuckled. "Come on, Nina."

"You know what, Luke? How about we do the rescue at a _reasonable_ time?" Nina rolled over to a more comfortable piece of dirt.

Luke raised a single eyebrow. "Nina…"

Nina sat up and gave Luke the best glare she could summon with her brain foggy and eyes puffy with sleep. "You disgust me."

Luke carefully hid a smile. "Time to head out."

Percy who had watched the entire exchange with an amused expression suddenly gave a chuckle.

Nina whirled on him. "What do you think is so funny?"

Percy held up his hands innocently. "You guys. The two of you are like an old married couple."

Luke and Nina both blushed furiously and avoided each other's eyes at all costs. Percy, of course, found this hilarious.

Finally, Luke cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Um, shouldn't we be going to meet Mr. Talbot and Nedley.?"

"Yes," Nina agreed pointedly. "We should."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Matthias was surprisingly the last one up. He woke up to find Emeary gazing out in the forest.

"You should have woken me," he said sitting up. Emeary jumped high in the air at the sudden noise in the silence. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Emeary nodded. "It's okay. I was just…thinking."

"What about?" The question surprised both of them. Matthias had no idea he could be so bold, and Emeary had no idea why he would want to be.

"I was just thinking about…my choice. About coming out here."

Matthias nodded as if understanding. "Do you…regret it?"

Emeary shook her head. "No."

Matthias studied Emeary's face. Her silver eyes sparkled against her ebony hair in the sunlight. Her pale features highlighted in the golden light. It was…pretty. "I'm glad."

Emeary smiled. "Good, because I am, too."

Matthias met her eyes, and for a moment everything paused. Nothing else mattered. It was just the two of them. Two kids against the world. But that was okay. Everything was just okay.

Somewhere in the distance, a twig snapped and just like that the moment was over.

Matthias nervously cleared his throat and said, "Um, I guess we should get going."

Emeary nodded sadly. "Yeah…okay."

The two began carefully weaving through the brush.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Mark inwardly groaned. He was going to strangle his little brother. What was he thinking leaving him with the three youngest?

"I think puppies are cuter than cats."

"But cats purr, and purring is a lot cooler than barking."

"Dogs are more loyal than cats."

"Yeah, but cats are smarter."

"Dogs can be smart, too!"

Mark barely suppressed a growl and abruptly stood up from where Joel, John, and Smits were having a very important debate.

"I still say dogs are cuter!"

Mark walked away.

Mr. Talbot and Nedley were discussing some battle plans in the corner of the safe house they were meeting in. It was really just a small log cabin, but it was off the grid and as safe as anywhere else.

Hmm…talk about whether dogs or cats are better or epic battle plans? Mark rolled his eyes and went to sit by Mr. Talbot.

"So have you guys figured out how we're breaking in?"

Nedley nodded. "Yeah, we've got it under control. We just need the others to get here, so we can put the plan into action."

"What is taking the others so long?" Mr. Talbot wondered aloud.

Mark shrugged. "They were going to rescue Layla and Emeary and then head back to us as soon as they could unless…"

"Unless they were caught, too," Mr. Talbot finished grimly.

Nedley shook his head in disbelief. "How did Emeary and Layla get caught in the first place? Layla seemed to be trained so well."

"Told you," Mark shrugged. "Newbies."

"Who are you calling a newbie?"

The three men jumped as Layla in all her glory cockily stood with her hand on her hip. "What were you saying, Mark?" she asked sweetly, too sweetly.

Mark gulped nervously. "I, uh, was just saying that you…you -" Mark withered under Layla's glare. "You are an amazing warrior, and there's no way you could be caught unless you were seriously outnumbered."

Layla smiled brightly. "That's what I thought you said."

Mr. Talbot gave an amused smile as Nedley laughed out loud. "Man, you just got burned. By a girl."

Mark glowered.

Trey finally stepped up to Mr. Talbot. No one had noticed him in Layla's presence. "Where are the others?" he asked.

Mr. Talbot shook his head sadly.

Trey looked as if he's swallowed an apple. Whole.

Layla refused to let the light in her eyes die. "They're probably just late. You know them: never on time."

"Thanks, Layla. Love you, too."

Once again, all heads turned to see Nina, Luke, and Percy standing in the door way. Nina shrugged. "Hey, we would have been here earlier if Percy didn't have to pull 'surveillance' and stuff."

Percy looked indignant.

Luke looked around the room. "So who else is here?"

"Everyone except Matthias and Emeary," Nedley answered.

Luke nodded as if accepting this.

"Well, I know Matthias isn't one to be late," Mark quipped. "So I guess we're waiting on Emeary. It figures. She definitely didn't look like the hardcore-type girl."

"Who's not the hardcore type?"

For the third time in tem minutes, everyone turned to see the pair in question standing at the door. Matthias looked slightly…mad, but Emeary just had a really amused expression on her face.

"So…Mark. You think I'm a flimsy girly girl? I scream at a spider and shriek at a rat. That kind of girl? You know, the opposite of Layla."

Mark, for the second time in ten minutes, looked like he wanted to pee his pants. "Uh…uh…"

Emeary smirked. "Hey, that's cool. I'll say I'm not hardcore. Just remember: if you're in trouble, don't expect the girly girl to bail you out."

Mark tried to wipe the terrified look off his face but failed miserably. His fake bravado fell flat and died.

Layla glanced at the situation and hid her amusement.

Mr. Talbot cleared his throat, breaking in the awkward silence. "Well, um, now that we have all our fellow rescuers here, we can begin the debriefing."

Joel, John, and Smits joined Matthias, Trey, Luke, Percy, Nina, Layla, and Emeary as they all listened to Mr. Talbot and Nedley.

"Okay, this is what we'll do…"


	14. Chapter 14

_I do not own the Shadow Children series. __L_

Chapter Fourteen

Melina looked out the window of the powerful fortress she called home and smiled. Everything was so perfect.

She lived in one of the most respected prisons in the country. Her father was the intimidating warden of this prison. The prison had just captured several third children and third children assistors. And, best of all, she was there to witness it all.

Melina saw all. She was the eyes of the prison.

Even if she was just a twelve year old girl.

A bitter taste entered her mouth at the thought. The others…they didn't see her as a powerful being who knew everything that went on in the prison. They saw her as the warden's snobby daughter. A liability.

A girl.

Melina's cheerful mood had turned sour, and she turned away from the window of her room. The Population Police officers talked about her. Said she was only here because of her father. They underestimated her.

And Melina _hated_ that.

With a passion.

Melina pulled on what was much like a girlified Population Police uniform. Dark forest green jeans with tall black combat boots. She found a black shirt with the Population Police insignia. A leather belt finished the outfit.

Melina went out to run her morning rounds. First, she would check the old time prisoners. Then the few that were under torture and interrogation. Last would be the newest third children.

She would look forward to that.

The third children were dirty; her father had taught her that. They had no right to live. The illegal children ate food greedily while law abiding citizens starved. Where was the justice in that? It was wrong.

Third children were wrong.

Melina chuckled evilly to herself. She would make it her personal duty to make sure _all_ third children would pay their debt to humanity.

She would make sure of it.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Emeary was in a group with Layla and Nina. The three girls had their own personal mission to carry out.

Nedley had explained that to Emeary. "We can't tell you everything that everyone's doing. You just need to know what _your_ mission is. That way if you're captured, you can't give away the plan."

It made sense. Sort of.

Emeary tugged absentmindedly at her cotton baby pink skirt. It was so girly and innocent. Of course, that was the point. Her ebony hair was curled and a pretty pink headband finished the look.

Nina and Layla were beside her in similar clothing. Layla's sky blue; Nina's emerald green. Together they looked like the girls next door.

Mr. Talbot surveyed them closely. "You three look good. Just remember: Nina, you and Layla are sisters. Ebony, you're their cousin. The three of you were sent to ask if girls can join the Population Police, okay? Here's your ID receipts."

Emeary took the tiny slip of paper full of information that had nothing to do with her. "So we just walk into the Population Police prison and ask for jobs? Just like that?"

Mr. Talbot grinned. "Just like that."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

"So what did you say your name was?" The Population Police officer peered quizzically over his paperwork at the three strange girls before him.

Nina blushed theatrically. "My name is Jewel. Isn't that such a pretty name? I've always loved it. My momma said that she named me that because I was the jewel of her life when I came along. I'm the oldest, you see. And -"

"Sissy!" Layla squealed, pretending to scold her 'sister'. "You don't have to give your whole life story! My name is Sylvia Ann, Mr.…"

"Scott."

"Mr. Scott. I'm Jewel's sister. And this is my cousin." Layla gestured to Emeary.

Emeary had been standing off to the side, looking very sullen in her pink dress. "Yeah," she grumbled. "I'm Ellie Mae." Emeary suppressed a shudder.

"Ellie Mae?" the officer said, barely suppressing a chuckle. Emeary shot him a look that clearly said: You laugh, you die.

The officer cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So you girls want to join the Population Police?" They all nodded. "Yes, well…I'm going to have to talk to the warden about that. We haven't taken new recruits in a long time, especially not…well, I'll have to talk to the warden. Follow me."

Emeary followed the obviously young officer through the gates. It was this easy? This easy to get in? Of course, it was easy to get in. Getting out was the problem.

Layla memorized every twist and turn of the hallways. This was her moment. This was the time when she would finally avenge Tate. And she would not mess it up.

Nina rolled her eyes behind the back of the officer. _Here we go again, _she thought. There were exactly seven third children and four members of the Resistance somewhere in the prison. They were going to break them out. All in a day's work.

"Could you girls wait here with this guard? I'll go talk to the warden."

Emeary refused to be intimidated by the guard…but it was hard. He was a monster of a man. At least six feet tall and broad in the shoulders. What did they feed him?

"Mister?" Layla's voice was innocent. A nice change. "My sister and I need to go to the bathroom. Can you tell us where it is?"

The guard grunted and pointed toward a hall.

Nina took Layla's hand, and they went off to the bathroom.

But Emeary knew better.

Nina and Layla were going to let in Matthias, Mark, Luke, and Trey. The four boys would be in charge of getting the prisoners out. Nina, Layla, and Emeary would be distractions to the warden…when they got back. For now, Emeary was to make sure this giant of a guard, the officer, and the warden didn't know what was going on.

"So…you work here long?" Emeary asked. She had never been good at small talk. But she had only known five people in her previous life.

The guard grunted noncommittally.

Emeary was beginning to get frustrated. Was he a caveman or something?

"You have a wife?"

Grunt.

"Kids?"

Grunt.

"Where do you live?"

Grunt.

_Why don't you have a personality?_

The officer walked out of the warden's office. "The warden is willing to see you now. Uh, where are the others?"

Emeary shrugged nonchalantly. "Bathroom."

"Oh." The officer looked like he had never considered the strange girls needing one. "When will they be back?"

_When they've let a bunch of rebels in to cause a jail break. _"I guess when they're done peeing."

Emeary watched as the boyish officer blushed impressively. "Oh, well, would you like to talk to the warden then?"

_What? No! No, no, no. No! NO! _"Sure. Why not?"

Emeary walked through the apprehensive door. She was surprised to find the office pretty cozy. Soft pillows lined the puffy couch and chairs.

The stiff cold man sitting in the cuddly chair did not belong in it.

"Sit," he commanded.

Emeary didn't hesitate before obeying.

The warden straightened his paper professionally before continuing. "You told my officer that you want to join the Population Police."

"Yes."

"Yes, _sir_."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I find it suspicious that three girls would want to join the Population Police suddenly when we have several prisoners."

Emeary kept her face innocent. "You have prisoners?"

The warden was not fooled. "Ma'am, for the safety of our prison, you and your cousins will be kept here until we have proof of your identities. Until a family member comes to claim the three of you, you will be kept here as prisoners.

"Because you're one of them, aren't you? I am no fool.

"I believe you're a third child."

Emeary's look of horror was answer enough.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry, it's short, but I felt I owed something. **

Chapter Fifteen

Nina and Layla had clicked from the beginning. Their personalities were similar, and they both had a purpose to serve. Unfortunately, there were times when their nerves of steel and straightforward determination somewhat…clashed. This was one of them.

"I told you that we were supposed to turn left back there!" The 'I told you so' was unmistakable.

"Oh, shut up," Layla muttered as the two of them doubled back to the fork in the hallways and turned the correct way.

Nina refused to let her smirk die. "This is what I get for letting you lead this mission."

"Yep, success is what you get when you let Layla lead the mission," Layla countered triumphantly as she opened the door to the bathroom. Nina stuck out her tongue in a very mature kind of way and used a screw driver to open the vent. Luke, Mark, Trey, and Matthias dropped down one at a time.

"Nice of you to join us," Nina greeted as if they had just showed up for a picnic.

"I wish I could reply in similar." Trey had not forgotten why they were really here.

Luke patted his friend's shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay, Trey. You and Layla just have to wait here until Nina and I guide the seven third children to this vent."

"And I'll be leading the four adults to the other exit where Matthias will be waiting with Emeary. Wait - how are we so sure that the hallways will be clear?" Mark asked, pointing out the big gaping hole in the plan.

Matthias grinned evilly. "Percy, Smits, Joel, and John rigged up a little…distraction for the Police."

"So, a fire?"

"…yeah, a fire."

"Awesome!" Mark exclaimed enthusiastically and yet very quietly.

Matthias moved to the door of the very crowded bathroom. The lack of oxygen was starting to get to him. As if a sudden thought had struck him, he turned. "Emeary is okay, right? She will meet me at the exit point?"

Nina rolled her eyes. "Duh."

Layla smirked. "Don't worry, your girl is just fine."

Matthias quickly opened and closed the door behind him to hide the blush enflaming his cheeks. Layla was just being silly. She didn't mean anything by it.

But no matter how much he tried to deny it…Matthias did like Emeary being called 'his girl'.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

"We got the most awesome job ever!" Joel quietly enthused.

John nodded in agreement as he moved his hand dramatically to light the fuse that lead to…well, no one needed to know where it lead to - until it was too late!

Pssssssss…Ba - BOOM! Shwooosh!

Percy grinned silently as he watched the corner of the prison crumble and erupt in flame. The fire was already spreading rapidly.

He loved his job, too.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Melina was glaring at the other Population Police officers with disdain. How could they just lounge around on their lunch break making jokes when there were third children on the loose? It was simply unpatriotic.

"What's the matter with you people?" she muttered in disbelief.

No one noticed her as her glare intensified. She was nobody after all. Just the warden's snobby daughter sulking at her special table in the far corner of the cafeteria. If only they knew…

"FIRE!"

Melina's first reaction to the scream was a smirk. Finally, these officers would have to get off their butts and work. Then the full weight of the shriek started to settle in. What about the prisoners? The prisoners couldn't escape!

So when every Population Police officer in the prison rushed to the fire in the part of the building where the uniforms were stored and the offices placed, Melina silently moved to the now desolate part of the building.

Where the prisoners were kept.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

A tiny gleam of hope lit up Emeary's eyes when she heard the scream echo through out the corridors. The fire would be here in the office area. Emeary and the warden were in the line of fire (literally), and while they were being evacuated, Emeary could escape! Yes. That was the plan.

Or was for a total of thirty seconds.

The warden stood officially from behind his desk as three officers stormed in. "This feels like rebel work to me," he growled. "Probably associates of this girl. Tie her up and lock her in this office. If we can't catch one trying to save her, we will at least have dealt a blow to the wretches."

Emeary silently panicked as two of the officers gagged her and bound her to a chair. How was she supposed to escape now?

"And Jason!" the warden barked causing the youngest officer to jump. "Go find my daughter and protect her! She'll most likely be with the prisoners. Now GO!"

As the warden and his three Population Police officers closed and locked the door behind them, Emeary could only for one true though through her fear.

_Oh, Matthias…_


	16. Chapter 16

**My thanks to Neji and TenTen 4ever for her OC, Layla, and Caraqueen for her OC, Melina. I hope I got both of them right. Sorry, but I couldn't remember what Melina looked like, so if I got her wrong just tell me. :D**

Chapter Sixteen: Chaos

Matthias was glad to get away from the cramped bathroom - at least he was until he realized what was outside the silver metal door. The hallways were so clean and official that it was intimidating. They looked as if they would happily swallow him up and hand him over to the warden.

..but of course that was just silly. It was just his fear thinking.

What Matthias needed to do was go to the hidden exit and wait for Emeary. Then Mark would lead the four rebels to them, and they could all escape without any problems.

That was the plan anyway.

Matthias had complete faith in Percy's plan - he was Percy after all - but that didn't stop him from checking every turn before revealing himself. At last, after many careful procedures and cautious steps, Matthias reached the emergency exit. It was originally meant for an emergency such as a jail break, but now the hidden door would serve as quite the opposite.

Now all he had to do was wait for Emeary…

Matthias waited a total of five minutes before letting his worry consume him. Where was she? What if she ran into trouble? Why wasn't she with him already?

Matt took a deep breath and tried to calm his heart for the minutes to come.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Layla was very bored. Who knew secret rebel missions could be so dull? She was stuck in a cramped bathroom alone except for one other guy with nothing to do but wait for Luke and Nina to bring the shadow children.

Talk about boring.

"So, um…how did your mission go?" the other boy, Trey, stammered attempting at small talk.

Layla shrugged flippantly. "Piece of cake. The officer was a newbie, so it was pathetic how easy it was to get in, and our escort was a brain-dead caveman. No problems there. Emeary will have no problem getting past him."

Layla casually tossed back her long glowing locks, completely oblivious to the blush creeping up on Trey's cheeks. "So how did you guys do?"

Trey blinked and shook his head slightly as if rising from his train of thought. "Oh, um, it went…fine. W - we got through the ventilation shafts fine."

Layla nodded. "Hey, didn't you figure out that we could travel through the vents?"

Trey's blush deepened. "Uh, yes. Y - yes, it was me. I figured out that you can…travel?"

"Clever." Layla granted him a smile.

Trey looked away, but not before Layla caught a glimpse of his reddened cheeks. Maybe this little stay in the bathroom would turn out okay…

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Mark did not like this. It was too easy. Just stick the key Mr. Talbot gave him in the lock and release the prisoners? No, there was more to it than that. There always was.

As he turned down each hall, Mark checked for Population Police officers, but each time it was in vain. No one evil or devious was in sight - for now.

_I guess Percy and them did a pretty good job, _Mark thought.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

"We did a pretty good job, didn't we?" Percy said satisfied, laying back in the grass at the tree line.

Joel, John, and Smits gave various signs of content agreement.

Five minutes passed until John finally gave voice to what they were all thinking. "So…now what?"

…

"I'm bored."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Mark was just one corridor away from the prisons when he heard her.

"Ahem." Her voice was cocky and confident and chock full of sass. Mark immediately decided that this chick was going to be tough to deal with - until he turned and saw her.

She was tiny and short. Mark would have mistaken her for a fifth grader if it wasn't for the mature shape of her features. Wavy chocolate hair hung down to her shoulder, and her eyes were a mysterious hazel. If it wasn't for the crisp uniform and satisfied smirk, she would have seemed completely innocent and harmless.

"Who are you?" Mark asked harshly.

The girl's grin grew. "I am the warden's daughter, the law keeper of the prison. I am the eyes always watching. I am - Melina!"

Melina stood triumphantly as if waiting for her theme song, but instead a laugh met her. A laugh? "Did you not get it? I'm here to destroy you!"

Mark did his best to stifle his laughter, so he could look Melina in the face. "I'm sorry, but you have got to work on your name," he said, jokingly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your name! Melina! Look, your introduction speech was nice, very menacing, but it was completely ruined when you said your name. Melina? Melina is the name of an innocent five year old in a pink frilly dress. A Melina could not destroy you." Mark finished expertly.

Melina's eyebrows pinched together in fury. "Melina is a name that strikes fear into the heart of prisoners," she snarled. "Melina -"

"- will never intimidate anyone because they can't get the picture of a pink frilly dress out of their mind."

A growl rose from the back of Melina's throat. Who did this guy think he was to tell her she was not feared?

"You're just a dirty rebel. What do you know?" Melina hissed with menace. "You are nothing to this country but a barrier to greatness."

"If by greatness you mean the massacre of innocent little kids, then, yeah, I guess I am a barrier to your 'greatness'," Mark countered with a scowl of his own.

Melina was indignant of this - this boy! How could he say that? These illegal children were taking food away from legitimate citizens. "People are starving, and you want to feed illegals?" she said in disbelief.

Mark shook his head in his own disbelief. "You have no idea, do you? There is plenty of food. The _Government _made my family stop raising pigs. The _Government _makes our leftover grain rot in the field because we can't feed it to our pigs. The _Government_ stopped my dad from growing plants inside to help have more food. And the _Government _is the one with the problem. My family has endured all this suffering and they still love our third child, my brother.

"The third children didn't ask to be born third. It's not their fault that the Government has a problem with them. It could have just as easily been you that was born third to some poor family. What would you have done? Turn yourself in? Commit suicide?"

Mark had no idea he had those words in him. He never knew that he cared so much for the third children, for his brother, for Luke… But he knew he was right. No matter what the Government thought, Mark Garner _was_ right.

Melina looked to her feet. She suddenly found that she couldn't bear to look this boy in the face - especially not in this uniform. But he was wrong, right? This rebel was lying to catch her off guard, so he could overpower her.

Melina's thoughts suddenly went back to the fridge in her father's office. It was full of fresh food that was restocked everyday. When the apples bruised, they were thrown out. When she couldn't finish her plate, the leftovers were thrown out. Could the wasted food feed the third children…?

Melina mentally slapped herself. Of course, she was being silly. The rebel was planting dangerous lies in her head. But still…

Melina sighed fiercely. "Okay, Rebel. You have exactly five minutes to convince me of why I shouldn't shoot you right now."

Mark smiled briefly despite his circumstances. The girl had spunk.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Luke kind of liked this, this running down the white hallways with Nina by his side. Sure they were in enemy territory. Yeah, their lives along with others were at stake. But this? This was nice.

"I like the dress, Nina," Luke joked.

Nina playfully glared at him. "Not exactly my style. Too innocent."

"Yep," Luke agreed. "You definitely don't fit 'innocence'."

Nina stuck her tongue out at him in a mature kind of way. "You're one to talk."

"Yes, Lee. You are one to talk, aren't you?"

Luke stopped cold, and he felt Nina do the same beside him.

"Jason…" Nina breathed in disbelief.

Jason's cold expression softened. "Nina? Is that you? Nina, you - you need to get out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Nina snarled and spat at Jason's shoes. He didn't flinch.

Luke took a single step in front of Nina protectively. "Jason, it's two against one. I suggest you go back with the rest of you…_officers_." It was obvious that Luke did not mean 'officers' as a compliment.

Jason shook off his scowl and replaced it with his charming smile, so he looked like the old Jason - before Luke and Nina found out he was a traitor. "C'mon guys, we're all old friends here. Maybe we can find a nice compromise."

"I have one!" Nina brightly exclaimed. "How about you go jump in a lake, and Luke and I will go on our merry way? Sounds good to me! How does it sound to you, Luke?"

"I like it," Luke agreed with a smile.

Jason changed tactics. He turned to face Nina only and adapted a serious face. "Look, I never meant to hurt you. You know I didn't…Elodie."

Nina's sharp intake of breath was enough to send Luke in action. He jumped up…and tackled Jason to the floor.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Emeary was gagged and bound to a chair in a locked office. Said office was going to go up in flames very soon with Emeary going along with it. She should have been scared out of her mind.

But she wasn't.

Emeary only felt a sense of failure. She had left her home, her family, her brother to save third children. And she was here. But she had failed. She wasn't joining Matthias to show captured third children to their freedom. No, she was tied up, imprisoned.

But she was always imprisoned, wasn't she? Imprisoned by the Population Law since the day she was born.

Her mother wasn't a rebel, never wanted to be. It was just chance that Emeary was here. When her mother was supposed to have her second child, two were born. Twins. And that made a second and third child. A legal and illegal. But which was which?

Her mother had made a choice. A choice of which baby to hide and condemn and which baby to let live a normal life. Emeary had gotten the short end of the stick.

"Why?" Emeary muttered. "Why isn't Charity here in my place?"

Emeary sighed. Freedom. Freedom was what she wanted. To be released from the bonds that tied her down.

And she didn't mean the ropes.

Emeary straightened her posture in the chair. She wasn't going to give up this easy. She would fight. Fight to the very end.

Neal would be proud.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Layla struggled to keep her giggles from ringing out in the 'silent' hallways. It was hard though with the way this boy, _Trey_, was making her laugh. The way he could seems so funny and cute when explaining some complicated theory. Wait - cute? Where did _that _come from?

"So that's why the atomic theory is wrong: protons, neutrons, and electrons are really what makes up matter all in themselves. The first scientists didn't realize that." Trey finished with a trace of his rare quiet confidence.

"You show them, Trey," Layla cheerfully agreed. "Those big scientists think they're so good, but they just got outsmarted by a kid - and a third child, too!"

Trey's timid grin grew into an all out smile that consumed his entire face. "Yeah…maybe someday - when I'm older that is - I might could prove my theories…if it wasn't for, you know." The smile suddenly died, and Trey looked to his feet forlornly.

Layla reached out to touch Trey's exposed hand but then hesitated. After a moment of contemplation, she gently took his hand with a smile. "You're going to become the best scientist ever, and those stupid government people can get over it."

"Um…I hate to break up the tender moment, but aren't you guys supposed to be helping us escape or something?"

A tiny dirt smudged face peaked out from around the doorway of the bathroom. Caramel colored curls flattened by imprisonment framed the slightest ghost of a smirk.

Layla immediately went into business mode with a strong deposition. "You're one of them, aren't you? Where are the rest?"

The little girl around age six shrugged. "The two big kids leading us are with the others down the big white hall. I got scared and panicked in all the bigness, so I ran here."

"But Luke and Nina succeeded? They got you all out?" Trey asked, making sure. You could never be to careful in this business.

"Well, I'm right here," the girl said in a 'duh' tone of voice.

"…right."

Luke appeared behind the girl with a young boy in his arms. "Sorry, we're late. We got a little held up, but everything's okay now."

Trey noticed the way Luke exchanged glances with Nina and how they seemed a little uncomfortable. There was a story there. He wasn't sure what, but something had gone down.

Seven children varying from the ages of four to sixteen tentatively lined up as Layla instructed them on how to crawl through the vents, exit it from the side of the building, and meet with Nedley and Mr. Talbot in the forest. While the others were distracted, Trey moved to where Luke and Nina were watching.

"So…what exactly was the delay?"

Once again, Trey noted how the two exchanged glances nervously. Luke finally stepped forward.

"Jason."

With those two syllables, all of the air went out of the room. Just one tiny word. Trey had been betrayed just as everyone else had. It stung - it really hurt.

"What happened?"

"He tried to stop us," Nina muttered bitterly without removing her killer gaze from her slippered feet. "But we…dissuaded him in pursuing us."

Trey wanted to know more, but the third children had all already disappeared in the vent. It was time to go.

Layla gestured to the open vent. "You guys ready or what?"

Nina smirked. "Yeah, let's blow this joint."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Jason struggled against his bonds though he knew there was no use. The cloth was tied tight by able hands, and escaping was definitely not an option. He would just have to wait for some officer to stumble upon and release him. Of course, the criminals would have already escaped, but this was the best possibility available.

But he couldn't pretend that being found like this was the thing really nagging on his mind.

_You lied to me, Jason. You lied!_

Yes, Nina. I lied. I'm sorry. I never really wanted to lie to you. I - I think I might have even…

_You betrayed us, Jason. You betrayed us all. What makes you think you can even speak to us after what you did?_

Well, maybe I don't have the right to speak to you. But what was I supposed to do?

_Look at yourself now. Congratulations, you're part of the feared Population Police. _

I had no choice! I was caught. We were both caught, Nina. We were being tortured. You understand, Nina. If you were offered a way out, you would have taken it, right? Right?

Jason banged his head against the wall. He was just a kid - a kid caught in someone else's battle.

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Melina wasn't sure what to do. Mark had given some good points. It had sounded true and reasonable. But - how could she trust a rebel? Besides, there was her father. He was the warden. She had to be loyal to him, didn't she?

Melina gave a frustrated sigh. "Okay, here's the deal, Buddy. Whether the Population Law is wrong or not, it's still illegal to break criminals out of prison."

Mark shrugged. "It all depends on how you look at it. The Population Law is wrong. I'm about to do something 'wrong', so…"

"Two wrongs don't make a right."

"Yeah, but three lefts do make a right."

"Huh?"

"Exactly."

Melina rubbed her temples. This guy was giving her a headache. No, actually he _was_ a headache. "Maybe you should just disappear, and I was never here?"

Mark shrugged. "Works for me."

"Okay, so which way are you going?"

Mark motioned in the direction of the dungeons.

Melina nodded curtly and pointed in the opposite direction. "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm going this way. Goodbye." She marched off without looking back. Now she could finally sit down and figure some things out.

Mark waved once from behind her and headed of on his own way. That girl was something else.

The dungeons weren't very far away from where he was, so he was there in no time. Mark took out the key Mr. Talbot had given him and stuck it in the metal keyhole. He had no idea where Mr. Talbot got it - and he probably didn't want to - but it worked.

With a click, the door creaked open to reveal five stalls. Four heads weakly swiveled to the sound and sudden stream of light in the dank darkness.

"Who are you?" an aggressive voice questioned. Mark looked to its origination to find a middle-aged woman.

"I'm here to get you out," Mark answered. "I'm with Mr. Talbot."

Cheers went up among the other three men. "Finally," one exclaimed. "I was beginning to wonder about my old friend."

Mark began going down the row unlocking cells and releasing those inside. Everything was going smoothly - until he reached the fourth cell.

"I'm not going," the woman said stubbornly while shaking her head with her arms crossed. "I'm not going to leave."

"Why not?" Mark snapped a little sharper than he meant. But still. He never expected to have trouble from the people he was _helping_.

"Those Population Police don't scare me. They're not getting rid of me this easily," she said rebelliously.

Mark shook his head. "You have to come with us. They'll torture you to death if you don't."

The woman waved the thought away as if death by torture was just a tiny inconvenience. "But they'll know I won't break. They'll know that I don't give up that easily."

Mark bit his lip in frustration. He didn't have time for this. "Look, miss, I'm really sorry about this, but I hope you'll forgive me later." And then he reared back and punched her in the face.

The effect was almost immediate. The woman fell back unconscious, and the three men gasped indignantly. Well, one man actually seemed pretty pleased with the outcome.

Mark turned around determined. "I'm sorry, but we have got to get going, and I won't leave anyone behind."

Mark picked up the woman and slung him over his back like a sack of potatoes. She was tiny and light, so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience.

Together they all navigated the halls until Mark lead them to the side exit door.

"Hey, Matthias, Emeary, we're all here. We ready to go?" Mark greeted.

Matthias turned around to show worried eyes. "You don't have Emeary with you?"

Mark's initial glee began to fade away into confusion. "No…and you don't?"

Matthias shook his head.

"Where's Emeary?"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"Where is Emeary?" That was the question echoing down through the empty hallways of the prison. Those were the whispered words flitting from mind to mind. And yet no answer came.

Matthias banged his head against the wall in frustrated anger. "How could I have let this happen?" he shouted fiercely.

Mark put his hand on Matthias's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Look man, it's not your fault. She probably just met up with Luke and them and went out through the ventilation shafts. No big deal."

Matthias shook his head back and forth as if trying to rid it of all the horrible thoughts that kept preying on his mind. "I don't know…I just don't know. I don't think she…"

"Um, I hate to seem heartless, but we don't exactly have that much time - and well, we need to get out of here," one of the men said.

Matthias hated to admit it, but the guy was right. "Okay, Mark, you and the others go on out and meet Mr. Talbot. I'm going to look for Emeary."

"Uh, no."

"What?"

"No. I'm not letting you look for Emeary alone. I'm coming, too. Deal with it."

Matthias didn't really want to admit it, but some company in his search for Emeary would be nice - especially if they ran into trouble. "..okay. But what about them?" Matthias pointed to the three weak man and the unconscious woman.

Mark glanced at the pitiful looking group. "Oh. Forgot about that."

The man who had looked almost pleased when Mark knocked out the lady shrugged. "Don't worry; it'll be fine. We can find old Talbot, and I'll get Jerry here to carry my wife." That explained a lot.

Jerry didn't look to happy with his job, but the rebels were given directions and sent on their way. Mark turned to Matthias. "So…any idea of where she is?"

"None whatsoever."

"Then we better get started."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Melina's first impulse was to laugh, but she quickly thought better of it. Still, the pleasure this odd sight gave her was undeniable. Finally, someone had put Jason in his place.

The glare he was giving her would have given anyone chills, but Melina only released a small chuckle. The kid had always gotten on her nerves, and now he had finally gotten what was coming to him. "Why, hello, Jason," Melina taunted. "Fancy meeting you here."

If possible, the glare intensified. Melina was thankful that looks really couldn't kill, or she would be way past dead. "Oh, you look a little tied up at the moment, so I guess I better go see the warden myself, huh?" she added. Okay, so she couldn't help herself. Who could in this situation?

Jason jerked his head in the direction of the halls pointedly, but Melina pretended not to notice. "You know, I would love to stand here and make fun of you all day - trust me, I would - but I have more important things to do. Bye Jason!" Melina started to walk away, but stopped when Jason began banging his feet to the ground. "Fine," she huffed. "I'll untie you, but don't think I like it."

Melina bent down and began undoing the ties on Jason's feet. Then his hands. And finally - the gag. "You idiot!" he screamed as soon as the gag fell to the ground. "The time you spent goofing off just probably let rebels get away!"

Melina shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, that would be your job, so I don't see any trouble for me. Have fun facing the warden with that, Jason."

Jason was practically trembling with anger. "You think you're so great just because you're the warden's daughter. Well, let me tell you something, _Melina_. You are nothing but a spoiled pampered brat! And that's it!"

Melina was shell-shocked. Her whole attitude screamed _Oh, no, you did-n't! _But her heart was shattered and torn. Was that it then? Was that who she really was? Some rich spoiled brat? No, it couldn't be. She was more important than that, right? She made a difference in the prison, right?

Melina searched Jason's face for signs of a joke or lying or something that would let her know that it wasn't true, but cold cruelty was etched in his face and nothing else. Icy adrenaline burned through Melina's veins now, and she was ready to take it out. She stepped forward to Jason, looking him straight in the eye.

"Better a brat than a _traitor_," she hissed. And then she punched him.

Melina wasn't sure what gave him the harder hit - her words or her fist. The look of devastated shock on her face was prominent. Yes, Melina knew his little secret. Yes, her father had told her how the pathetic boy turned in innocent children as exnays. What do you have to say to that, Jason?

Apparently, something that would only be censored out of this.

Melina smirked, knowing she had scored a point and relishing in the tiny victory. Jason had always acted like he was so much better than Melina, and now she was finally getting back at him. Who's the weaker one now, Jason? Huh? Who? That's right, Jason. _Not me. _

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Trey wiggled his way out of the ventilation shaft and fell into the basement with a muffled thud. "Okay, Layla, it's clear," he whispered and watched as the red haired girl followed.

She ruffled her hair and wiped at her clothes. "You didn't tell me how dusty it was in there," she mumbled, aggravated. Approving of her condition at last, she helped the younger children out of the shaft and make it safely to the ground. Nina and Luke were the last out.

"This wasn't any more fun than the first time," Nina quipped, pulling a cobweb from her long braid.

"Hey, when you think of a better way to get around a top secret headquarters, I'd love to hear it," Trey defended.

"I thought it worked," Layla said, stiffly. Nina raised her eyebrow suspiciously, but said no more of the inconvenience of crawling through creaky dusty air ducts.

"Now through the window," Luke said, breaking the awkward silence and led the way toward the tiny window. He opened it with a quick jerk and crawled through, scraping up dirt as he went. The tiny children followed one by one until Trey, Nina, and Layla were the only kids left.

"Ladies first," Trey offered, swinging his arms like a gentleman.

"Does that really apply to present company?" Nina commented as she wiggled up in the window.

Layla shrugged and followed suit. Last came Trey.

Once everyone was out and stretching their backs. Luke and Nina led the children to where Nedley was waiting. Trey and Layla were to meet Matthias, Mark, and Emeary with their rescues on the other side of the woods.

"See you guys in a little bit," Layla whispered to Nina as they parted ways.

"Well, this mission has been pretty successful, huh?" Trey said, making conversation.

Layla shrugged. "This isn't over yet," she replied ominously.

"Who are you?" The words came sharp and accusing, and Layla felt a sharp pain in her arm as sudden fingers dug into her skin.

"What's it to you?" Layla hissed and whirled around to face her attacker. Oddly, it was not a Population Police officer, but a ragged middle-aged man.

Trey stepped forward protectively. "Yeah! Who do you think you are?"

"Well, who do you think _you_ are?" the man retorted. "That's what I was asking you in the first place!"

Layla looked closer. "Wait…you're one of the prisoners, aren't you?"

The man's eyes widened. "Uh…no…"

"Oh, and that's not obvious at all," Layla said with a roll of her eyes. "Come clean: we're allies."

The man visibly relaxed. "Oh, well by the way, one of your friends is missing. We have no idea where she is. She could be dead for all we know! Well, we better get going. See you!"

Layla was silent for a moment. Then it all unfolded in one spout of rage. "What? That's seriously all you have to say? Couldn't you at least be of some more help here? Who's missing? Where are we needed? C'mon, old man, we need more than that! Seriously, one of our friends' lives is at stake! Stop talking like you're chatting about the weather!" Her voice rose higher as she rambled on, freckled cheeks reddening as bright as her auburn locks in rage.

The man held up his hands innocently. "Hey, all I know is that some kid is missing, and two guys abandoned us to go after her. Some weird name though. Emerald? Leary? Frank? Cornelius? Oh! Emeary! That was it! Crazy, huh?"

Trey was shell shocked. What was wrong with this guy? Why couldn't he just tell us which of their friends were missing. …oh. Oh! Emeary!

"Emeary? Oh." Layla brightened. "Good riddance. C'mon, Trey. Let's keep moving."

The old man now stared at her as if _she _was the deranged, psycho one. "…What?"

"They're… more rivals than friends," Trey informed him.

"Oh…well, my wife's waiting on me. Well, actually my wife is unconscious right now, but my buddy is carrying her, so I better get going. Bye!"

Trey watched as the old man disappeared into the woods. "That is a sad strange little man," he said.

"Yes, yes he is," Layla agreed.

"So…ready to go help find Emeary?" Trey asked.

Layla sighed. "Do I really have a choice?"

Trey shrugged. "She's one of us. We need to go."

"Fine," Layla huffed, faking displeasure. In reality, she really was concerned about Emeary's well-being and wanted to do whatever it took to get her back. I mean, how could you be locked in a cell with someone, break out, and still be at odds with them? Well, at least, their rivalry wasn't as strong as before. "Let's do it."

**~Beware the Shadows~**

"Where do you think she would be?" Matthias panted through his ragged gasps for oxygen.

Mark shrugged as best he could in a full run. "I have an idea. It's a long shot, but we might as well try."

Matthias nodded in agreement. As long as he got to Emeary, it didn't matter.

Hall after shiny white hall passed before Matthias's eyes until he saw Mark skid to a stop. Confused, he mirrored his movements. "What's goi-?"

Oh. Standing before Mark was exactly what Matthias _didn't _need for the moment. A boy and a girl in Population Police uniforms with death glares that could quite literally kill were blocking the hallway.

"Great," Matthias muttered and got in a fighting stance.

"You again?" Mark gasped, exasperated. "You're just attracted to me, aren't you?" he said with a big flirting grin.

Melina gave him a dirty look. "You wish."

"They're the rebels!" Jason shouted. "Attack them!"

And that was what made up Melina's mind. Any enemy of Jason's was a friend of her. "They're pretty cool for rebels, and you're not getting anywhere near them!" she snarled taking a step toward Mark and Matthias.

Mark's eyes widened. "I never thought of you as the girl to throw the rule book out the window," he said.

Melina shrugged. "I never thought so either. This Jason guy is a wimp, but he does have a gun, so we better act fast if we're going to act," she whispered quickly.

Mark nodded. "In that case…attack!" And that is where they - well, attacked. Mark jumped on Jason and the two boys hit the floor with a loud crack.

Matthias - confused, but not about to turn down a stroke of good luck - dashed past the wrestling boys and snickering girl and took off down the hall. "Emeary…Emeary…where are you?" he muttered. "It'd really help if you could give me a sign or something."

"Mmm! Vhm - blah! Oo…icklevcivn cnvc!"

Matthias slid to a stop and double taked on a normal looking white door. Well, normal - except for the sign reading 'Office' on the front. "That'll work," he said and reached for the door knob.

It was locked.

Of course, it was locked! It just couldn't be that easy, could it? Gah! Wait a minute…Matthias had been on the streets since he was walking. He could pick a stupid lock!

Matthias reached for his lock picking kit and began the very long and complicated process of unlocking the door. "I'm coming, Emeary!" he called.

"Oo khf sls jtire!"

"Uh…okay!"

**~Beware the Shadows~**

Emeary was practically shaking with excitement. Matthias was here! He was going to save her! YES!

And then everything went black.


	19. Chapter 19

**It took awhile, but it's finally here :) I'm sorry this is short, but I guess I better wind up this story now or let it forever be unfinished. Sad, but true :( After this, there will be one more chapter, and then it's over. I hope you've enjoyed the ride. I know I have **

Chapter Nineteen

Somewhere in the dark corners of Emeary's mind, she knew that it was just that the fire had finally reached the power grid and the lights had gone out, but the piece of logic did nothing to soothe her terrified state. She screamed through the gag, begging Matthias to come and save her. All rational thought fled her mind as she plunged deeper into insane fear.

The door flew open, and Matthias busted into the dark room. He instantly heard Emeary, hurried to her side, and ripped the gag away.

"Matthias!" she cried. "Matthias, you made it; you've come for me!"

"Of course, I came for you," Matthias said breathlessly, his fingers working on her bounds. "I wasn't going to let you go." The ropes fell to the ground.

Emeary was free.

The girl stood with relief, rubbing at where the ropes had left a rash on her skin. "We need to get out of here. The warden will be back soon," Emeary warned urgently.

Matthias nodded and took her hand. "Let's go," he said. The two children ran side by side down the dark halls of the prison. It was almost pitch black, but Matthias's memory and skills were sharp, and he was able to lead them in the right direction.

At one point, they ran into Mark, Jason, and another girl by the name of Melina. There was a some confusion there. Mark begged Melina to go with them, but she claimed that her place was here. She promised they would meet again someday, but she had to work some things out in her mind. Respecting her wishes, Mark finally said goodbye and joined Matthias and Emeary, leaving the two Population Police behind in the dark corridor.

Matthias, Mark, and Emeary ran into Trey and Layla at the exit, the latter two coming in for the rescue. After several hugs, some quick explanations, and a reminder that they were still in a burning building, the group of five continued their fleeing escape.

At last it was over.

Time seemed irrelevant in Emeary's mind as she grasped Matthias's hand in her own. She was safe, and she was with her friends who were all safe as well. The mission was a success. She had made her mark. She had done well.

Emeary smiled as the smell of smoke faded into the scent of pine, and they entered the forest. She was happy.


	20. Chapter 20

**My special thanks to Taylor who inspired me to pick this back up again - and finish it :) Love ya! Now here is the grand finale... In all honesty it kind of ended slow, but I know I have to finish this. Enjoy ^^**

Epilogue

Three days had passed since the great prison break, and they had been an eventful three days indeed. At first, they weren't sure what to do with the shadow children and rebels, but that problem was quickly resolved. Harlow's School for Girls was quickly turned into a refuge for third children.

The rebels were currently running the facility. With a little (a lot) instruction from Luke, they learned how to grow their own food for the new refuge, and the rescued shadow children were showing some promise in that field - if they could gather the courage to go outside, that was. All together, it was a good, promising set up, and the mission was a success.

"I personally think we did awesome," Mark declared smugly, taking a swig from his tea to punctuate the point. Everyone who had participated in the mission were currently residing in Mr. Hendricks' living room where they were eating, drinking, and simply enjoying each others' company. It had been a hard few days, and they each knew that they were luck to be alive.

"Yes, you kids did a very good job," Mr. Hendricks agreed from his wheel chair in the corner, smiling contently.

"Even if it was looking a little iffy there for awhile," Nina laughed, and everyone else joined in enthusiastically, each thinking of a different disaster from the mission.

Emeary and Layla met each others' eyes from across the room, grinning.

Matthias, Emeary, and Percy were all sitting together on the love seat. Since the piece of furniture was only meant for two people, Emeary had to scoot quite closely to Matthias to make room for the other boy. Neither particularly minded. Luke, Nina, Trey, and Layla were sitting on the couch, all squashed up together. Smits, Joel, John, and Alia were all sitting on the floor in the center, basking in the glow of their victory in a way only the young and innocent can.

"However, it may have happened, it all ended well," Mrs. Talbot said fondly, passing around cups of hot chocolate and cookies to the children and adults.

Emeary glanced over to Matthias. She certainly thought it had ended well. Though she couldn't deny the pain of missing her brother, Neil, Emeary was glad she had left her modest home. She had left to make a difference, and she had. Yes, it was a small one, but it wasn't over yet. …and she was going to be by Matthias's side the whole way.

Luke reached out and subtlety took Nina's hand. When she gave him startled look, he only smiled. "We may not survive the next one," he whispered, and Nina smiled back. She squeezed a little tighter.

Mark was sitting in a kitchen chair all alone, but he didn't necessarily feel alone. He was surrounded by close friends after all, but there was something else, too. His thoughts kept wandering to that girl…Melina…

_We'll meet again someday, but for now, my place is here. _

That's what she had told him. He didn't know how much of those words she went or even in what sense she had met them. The words could just have easily meant I'll put you behind bars someday, but Mark didn't think that's what it was.

_I need some time to think things through. _

Mark decided he'd give her that time, and he was confident in what her final conclusions would be. She had a good heart. Behind the Population Police uniform, she had a good heart.

"So who's ready for the next mission?" Nedley joked and gained a cacophony of groans and laughter in return.

Layla was unusually quiet this evening as she rested on the couch. It wasn't that she was sad - just thoughtful. It was only another mission. True, it had been successful unlike many she had been on, but she felt different somehow. Like she had come home with something in her heart that hadn't been there before. The feeling was foreign, but not necessarily in a bad way.

Layla glanced over at Trey who was sitting snugly beside her and at Emeary on the loveseat. She was beginning to think it might have something to do with the two of them. Strange…one nearly drove her crazy and the other was as awkward as a newborn colt.

Funny how friendship works.

Later that night, Emeary snuck away from the crowd and slipped outside. She enjoyed the warm cheeriness inside the house, but she longed for the cool serenity of moonlight. She looked up into the sky at the millions of stars twinkling above her.

She felt…_free. _

True, she wasn't technically free. She was still a third child, and she still had to hide, but that seemed insignificant compared to this. It was like the invisible bonds that had bound her in her heart for so long had finally dissolved.

Imprisoned no more.

"It's a pretty night," someone said from behind her.

Emeary whirled around and smiled when she saw who had spoken. "Hello, Matthias. Fancy meeting you out here," she greeted.

A wry grin played on Matthias's lips as he joined Emeary at her side. "What are you thinking about?"

Emeary looked up at the glowing moon. "…life," she answered vaguely. "I'm starting to like mine - even if I've probably shortened it considerably," she added, chuckling a little.

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Matthias countered lightly, but there was a serious glint in his dark eyes.

Emeary looked up into Matthias's face. "We fight until the end," she promised. "Side by side. For freedom."

Matthias leaned in closer to Emeary until she could feel his breath hot on her cheek. "For freedom," he repeated. And kissed her.

The End


End file.

Shadow Children series, Adventure, Romance